Two-part burial casket



Aug. 28, 1962 c. H. PHILLIPS 3,050,813

TWO-PART BURIAL CASKET Filed Oct. 28, 1960 I I I Z I IN V EN TOR. I Owl-n55 H PH/LL/Ps I K II 76 if c5 y Patented Aug. 28, 162

3,056,818 TWO-PART BURIAL CASKET Charles H. Phillips, 160 W. Franklin St., Richmond, Va. Filed Oct. 28, 1960, Ser. No, 65,816 6 Claims. (Cl. 27-35) This invention relates to burial caskets.

It is the chief object of the invention to provide the combination of an outer casket with a detachable base and/or an outer bottomless casket and an inner casket, for the purpose of economy, beauty and dignity.

Another object is to provide a combination wherein the inner and/or base and outer units are positively interconnected but easily separable for lowering of the inner unit.

A further object is to provide a casket wherein the inner uni-t is relatively inexpensive while the outer unit, being reusable, may be more ornate and expensive.

A still further object is to provide a casket, the outer unit of which is relatively plain in design and the inner unit, exclusive of the base, may vary in size, shape and furbi-shments.

A still further object is to provide a combination of an inner casket and an outer casket, the lower portion of the outer casket containing the locking and releasing mechanism and handles attached thereto, so that the two can be locked together.

Yet another object is to provide an outer casket unit which may be constructed or molded of transparent plastic or glass sotha-t those at the grave service may see the inner unit being lowered in the usual and conventional way.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a study of the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View showing the assembled and interconnected inner and outer casket elements resting upon the straps of a lowering mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a detail elevational view showing one of the two release mechanisms incorporated into the outer casket, one on each side thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken in a plane identified by line 33, FIGURE 2, but showing the latch in released position;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse assembly shown upon FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a detail section to an enlarged scale, taken in a plane identified by line 55, FIGURE 4, and showing one of the two release rods in position holding and supporting the inner casket unit;

FIGURE 6 is a detail perspective View to an enlarged scale, of a portion of one release rod, showing one hook thereof and its manner of engagement with a corresponding lug attached to the base of the inner unit;

- FIGURE 7 is a plan or top view of the inner casket unit only, with top or cover removed; and

FIGURE 8 is a detail section to an enlarged scale, in a plane identified by line 88, FIGURE 7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 identifies the assembled casket units generally and shown at FIGURE 1 resting upon the cross-straps B of a conventional lowen'ng device A. These straps, in a well-known construction, are wound upon rollers releasable for slow lowering of the casket. Cross supports C are shown supporting the outer unit at each end thereof.

The inner unit or element comprises a box-like enclosure of any suitable material such as steel or other metal, wood, plastic, opaque glass or concrete, having a floor, base or platform 2, right and left side walls, FIG- section through the URE 4, and a top or cover, not shown. As depicted upon FIGURE 4 the lower edges of sides 3 and 4 may be rabbetted into base 2, as at 5. Also as shown upon this figure the edges of base 2 are preferably .fiush with theouter surfaces of sides 3 and 4 and the entire inner unit has a smooth fit within and between the sides 6 and 7, and ends such as 8, FIGURE 1, of outer element or unit 9, having a top 1%.. The construction and arrangement are such that with the inner unit sealed, the outer unit may simply be lowered over and about the inner one to completely enclose it. Then the two may be secured together by means now to be described.

A plurality of equally-spaced brackets 11 are secured along the lower edge of each side wall 3 and 4. FIGURE 6 shows one of these brackets in detail, from which it is I noted that each comprises a plate 12 of generally triangular form having a lug 13 integral with and outstanding from the apex portion of its outer side. A pair of holes 14 and 15, FIGURE 6, are formed through each plate 12 for securing each bracket in proper position to and in spaced relation along side walls of the inner unit. As shown upon FIGURES 5 and 7, five of these brackets may be used upon each side wall in uniformly spaced positions longitudinally therealong. A convenient and neat way of securing these brackets in place is to provide decorative strips 16 and 17, one along each lower edge of the side walls and ends of the inner unit and to secure the strips and brackets to the walls by fasteners such as screws 18, FIGURE 8, each passing through the strip and a hole 14 or 15 into the material of base or floor 2, so that the lower portion of each bracket plate 12 is clamped between a strip and a wall of the inner unit and partially obscured or concealed thereby, while leaving all lugs 13 exposed and in spaced relation above the strip, in a manner clear from inspection of FIGURE 8.

Thelower edges of the side walls 6 and 7 of the outer unit are rabbetted as at 19, FIGURE 4, to house and conceal the brackets and strips when in positionover and about the inner unit. Just above the ra bbet each side wall of the outer unit is formed with a longitudinallyextending bore or channel 20, FIGURES 3 and 5, to receive with a smooth sliding fit a respective one of a pair of support rods 21 and 22. The construction is such that the rods, one on each side wall of the outer unit, have free but limited sliding adjustment or movement.

Each of the rods 21 and 22 has integrally connected therewith, a plurality of depending hooks 23. The hooks on each rod are equal in number to the number of brackets 11 on its side and each is so disposed that when rod 21, for example, is shifted axially or longitudinally to the right as viewed at FIGURE 6, each hook thereof is translated from the position shown wherein its horizontal portion 23a is positioned beneath and in supporting contact with the lug 13 of its respective bracket, to a position free and clear of its lug. Since all hooks and lugs are similarly positioned, translation of each rod as aforesaid acts to simultaneously release all hooks on that rod from supporting engagementwith the lugs of brackets 11.

. Asbest shown upon FIGURES 1, 2, 4 and 5, each side 6 and 7 of outer unit 9 has a slot or'recess therein, such as recess 24 for side 6. Each recess may conveniently be positioned at one end of the length of the outer unit and is at the level of the rod on that side, to extend inwardlyinto communication with the bore or channel 20 in which the rod slides. Thus referring to FIGURE 3, recess 24 is so disposed and dimensioned as to expose the adjacent portion of rod 21 at a location between two hooks 23, and has an integrally-connected projection 26 extending generally horizontally outwardly therefrom into the recess. This projection is pivotally connected at 27 with a latch 28 including a slidable spring-pressed destraps of the lowering'device.

the rod, from beneath the respective lugs 13. This action, of course, releases the inner casket on that side. It will be understood that the construction of rod 22 at the other side 7 of the outer casket, is identical with the one just described and is similarly longitudinally movable to release the lugs on that side.

In operation, at the close of the graveside service and with the inner and outer casket units, or outer unit and base unit, connected as depicted upon FIGURE 6'and resting upon the straps B of the lowering device, bars C being in position to support the outer unit, the attendant operates one knob 31 torelease the latch as in FIGURE 3, then using the latch as a handle, shifts the rod' 2-1 to release position. He then moves to the other side and correspondingly shifts rod 22. The inner casket is now free of, the outer unit and is supported only by the The outer casket can then be lifted up from the inner casket or base, leaving the base or ornamental inner casket exposed to view, or the outer casket can remain on the inner casket. The

' release of the lowering device is then initiated so that the inner unit or base begins to descend while the outer one, if not removed as aforesaid, remains supported on bars a C. Since the top 10 or all of the outer casket may be of transparent material, such as plastic, the lowering of the inner unit is visible or apparent to those present, in the way customary with caskets of one-unit or conventional construction. Since the outer unit which may be the more ornate of the two, is thus retained and re-used, the cost of burial is thus materially reduced without, however, any sacrifice of dignity or solernnity of the service and without any substantial departure from the long-establishedburial customs to which people are used.

While I have described the form of my invention presently preferred by me, various changes of shape and form, alterations and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, after a study of the foregoing description. Thus, for example, a grooved anti-friction rollersmay be journaled on each lug 13 for engagement with the horizontal arms of the hooks thereby making it easier to shift the rods. Also the lugs may be fixed to rods 21 and 22 for releasable engagement with slots or hooks integral with brackets 12. Also coil springs may be positioned within the recess of each rod to bear against an end thereof to urge, or to move it when released, into the position where n the inner unit is freed along, a pair of rods, each mounted horizontally in and along arespective side wall of said outer unit for Iongitudinal translation relatively thereto, a plurality of hook means fixed to each said rod in spaced relation there-f along, each said hook means being engageable with a respective one of said abutments to support said inner unit within said outer unit, and means'mounted within recesses in the side walls of said outer unit, connected with a respectiveone of said rods and operable to horizontally and axially translate the same relatively to said outer unit to thereby simultaneously release all said hook means connected therewith, each from its respective abutment.

2. A burial casket comprising, an outer unit having interconnected top, side and end walls only, an inner casket having interconnected base, top, side and end Walls, and sized to fit smoothly within said outer unit, a plurality of brackets fixed in horizontally-spaced relation along the lower edge of each side of said base, a

pair of rods each horizontally mounted to the lower edge 1 of the respective side wall of said outer unit'for longitudinal translation relatively thereto, a plurality of hooks dependingfrom each said rod in longitudinally-spaced relation therealong, each said hook being adapted toreleasably engage a respective one of said brackets to sup: port said inner unit entirely within said outer unit, operating means connected with said rods to axially translate the same from a first position wherein each respective rod engages its bracket to support the same, to a second position free and clear thereof, and means carried'by the respective side walls of said outer unit and cooperating with said operating means to releasably holdeach re-' spective rod in first position.

3. In a two-unit burial casket, top, side and end walls interconnected to form a bottomless outer unit, top, bottom, side and end walls interconnected to form a closed inner unit sized for assembly into said outer unit through the open bottom thereof, a plurality of brackets fixed in horizontally-spaced relation to and along the lower side walls of said inner unit, each said bracket including a lug protruding outwardly therefrom, a pair of rods each mounted horizontally for movement in a channel in the lower edge of a respective side Wall of said outer unit,

a plurality of hooks connected with each' rod in longitudi-; nally-spaced relation therealong, each said hook being a movable with its rod, from a first position engaging be neath and supporting a respective lug, to a second position clear of its lug, there being a recess in each side wall of said outer unit exposing a portion of a corresponding rod, 2. pair of latches each connected to 'a respective rod within one of said recesses, each said latch being movable from a first position holding its rod andthe hooks thereof in support of said inner unit within said outer unit, to a second position freeing, said rod and the hooks thereof for-movement releasing said inner unit for descent from said outer unit.

4. A burialcasket comprising, an outer unit having interconnected top, side and end walls only, an inner closed unit having interconnected top, bottom, side and end walls, and sized for, insertion into said outer unit through the open bottom thereof to fit therewithin, a plurality of abutments fixed to and in uniformly-spaced relation along the lower edges of the side walls of said inner unit, a plurality of hooks mounted to and, for horizontal translation along the lower edges of the side walls of said outer unit, each said hook being translatable from a first position engaging and supporting a respective one of said abutments, to a second position free and clear of the same, and

a pair of horizontal rods each mounted to a respective side wall of said outer unit, at the lower edge thereof, to extendlongitudinally therealong and foraxial translation with respect-thereto, each said rod being connected with all said hooks at the corresponding sideof said inner unit, to simultaneously translate between said first and second positions, the hooks connected therewith.

5. A burial casket comprising, an outerrunit havingin- I terconnected top, side, and end walls only, an inner unit having interconnected base, top, side, and end walls, and sized to fit smoothly within said outer unit, a plurality of brackets fixedinhorizontally-spaced relation along the lower edge of each side of said base, a pair of rods each 1 horizontally mounted to the lower edge of the respective side Wall of said outerunit, for longitudinal translationpair of latches each attached to a respective rod and manually movable from a first position releasably engaging the respective side wall of said outer unit, to a second position free and clear of said side Wall, to thereby free its rod for longitudinar translation.

6. In a two-unit burial casket, a bottomless outer unit comprising rigidly interconnected top, side and end Walls, a base unit sized to fit smoothly Within the lower edges of the Walls of said outer unit to close the same, a plurality of brackets fixed with the side edges of said base unit in spaced relation therealong, a pair of rods each extending horizontally in and along a respective side wall of said outer unit, for longitudinal sliding relatively thereto, a plurality of sets of hooks, each said set being rigidly connected with a respective one of said rods and movable as a unit therewith between a first position Where- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,065,579 Bentley June 24, 1913 1,774,625 Alexander et al. Sept. 2, 1930 1,833,547 Wollitz d. Nov. 24, 1931 1,891,296 Wegner Dec. 20, 1932 2,159,144 Fletcher May 23, 1939 2,167,001 Oppenheim July 25, 1939 

